Rose Tyler, The Doctor, And Forever
by ZenPotter
Summary: On Bad Wolf Bay Rose Taylor had to make a choice but whether that choice will lead to sunshine and roses only time will tell
1. Two Doctors and A Rose

**Rose Tyler, The Doctor, And Forever**

**by ZanPotter**

_Disclaimer; Don't own the doctor, wish I did but if wishes were horses as they say_

_On Bad Wolf Bay Rose Tyler had to make a choice but whether that choice will lead to sunshine and roses only time will tell_

Chapter One: Two Doctors and A Rose

The moment was static, filled with unrelenting tension. There was silence, a world waiting breathlessly. The day's horrors had passed, goodbyes finite in time. All was said and done and her journeys had led her to this moment. In all time and space with everything she had seen and done, nothing should surprise Rose Tyler anymore. No one should, but the doctor wasn't just anymore. He was a mad brilliant man, a man with a blue box, lord of time and space, a dark knight that always rose to the occasion. Was it fate, or destiny that led her to this place, to this moment in time, she had no idea. She was at a crossroad and she had but one path to chose. She glanced at the two doctors who stood slightly in front on either side of her. They were identical from head to toe, she would have a hard time telling them apart if they weren't in different suits. Same memories, the human doctor had claimed, but one life to spend with her. She felt his single heart already, heard it beat beneath her fingers but it was so confusing because she did know better. It wasn't the same, through he was offering her everything, and as cruel as it was to think, he was a copy.

"All right." Rose said, taking a breath. "Both of you, answer me this. When I last stood on this beach, on the worst day of my life, what was the last thing you said to me?"

She had come to some sort of decision, both doctors understood and looked at each other deep in thought. Neither spoke though, but Rose needed the answer. The answer was everything.

"Go on, say it." Rose said with some urgent in her voice, one of them had to say it.

A moment passed then the original doctor broke the eye contact with his double and turned to Rose, " I said Rose Tyler", He said.

"Yeah," Rose said, attention on him, "and how was that sentence gonna end?"

The doctor's eyes held her in a spell, her heart was beating a million miles per minute and she wondered what was going on in his head, what was he thinking. The doctor looked at Rose Tyler, she was so much than she realized, brilliant, beautiful, benevolent, he had met so many people in his lifetimes, all 10 of them and had loved and lost many. Rose was an enigma, the anomaly of the universe, unique, perfect.

"Does it need saying?" He asked, truth was he was unable to say it out loud. Those words scared him so much, he knew how much she wanted to hear those word but he knew that it would end up hurting her in the end. What the doctor didn't realize was that not saying it had already hurt her. Her heart literally stopped a beat, her hopes dashed to infinite. She forced herself to look at his double then.

"And you, Doctor?" She asked trying to stay calm, to hold her self together "What was the end of that sentence?"

The human doctor observed her for a moment, thinking the same thing that his double had thought accept he knew that he was could give her the one thing that the original doctor couldn't. A lifetime of happiness he was more than willing to give her. For Rose Tyler, time stopped existing, Her reality rested on this moment, on the answer she would receive. It would either make her or break her, she realized. It was hard to stand there and way, but she had waited for so long but at least not any longer. The doctor leaned towards her, she felt his warmth, his breath against her ear.

"Rose Tyler," He whispered in her ear, "I love you"

Rose let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, she felt like she could cry right then and there. Turning to meet the doctor's eyes, warmth flowed throughout her body, impulsively, without thought of the consequence, she pulled his head closer and kissed him. She kissed him for all she was worth. He had given her everything, all her doubts gone with those three little words, an all her wishes had come true, dreams a reality. The old doctor watched the kissing couple in front of him for a moment, and he knew without a doubt that he had done the right thing. So why did it hurt so much, why did it feel like both his hearts were breaking into tiny pieces? Gathering all the strength he could muster, the doctor deliberately turned way and strode the Tardis with Donna on his heels.

"You okay?" Donna asked as the two made their way in the Tardis, it was a stupid question but doctor-Donna with all the knowledge of the universe couldn't think of anything else.

"I'm always okay" The doctor answered, it was a lie of course, but the doctor was in the habit of lying. Lying and running the two things he was so very good at.

Rose had dreamed of this moment, the moment she would finally kiss the doctor. A real kiss, not one where he is trying to get time energy out of her body or when she is possessed or something but her first real kiss with the doctor. Her doctor. But this wasn't her doctor...was it? Rose pulled back, "I'm sorry" She whispered. She didn't even the doctor a moment or a chance to truly process her words before she started to back away from him and started to ran. She ran because her life depended on it. Good thing for all that practice with the doctor. She barely made it pulling the Tardis door open and closing it shut before it dematerialized. The two occupants in the Tardis looked at her, leaning against the Tardis doors, breathing heavily. Both in obvious shock. The doctor who had leaned against a Tardis pole for support a few moment ago, stood up straighter.

"I can't" Rose whispered, her words carried over to the doctor, she looked at him square in the eyes "I'm sorry doctor"

"Rose" The doctor said her name and then stopped, he was speechless, the timelord majestic, the doctor who could tell you the base code of the universe without taking a breath. The doctor who could defeat the daleks, the sontarians, the cyberman and other various enemies of humanity without breaking a sweat had been rendered speechless by one Rose Tyler.

Rose gathered herself up and strode to the doctor with determination. She had come to conclusion about what the doctor had tried to do, about what both doctors had tried to do. Now that she knew that the doctor loved her, knew without a doubt because of those three little words the double had whispered in her ear she would not accept anything but to spend forever with her doctor. She stopped in from of the doctor and put the palms of her hands on his face, holding him still.

"I won't stay, and let you run out on me" She told him, her voice firm, decision made.

_On Bay Wolf Bay _

The doctor stood where Rose had left him, watching the spot where the Tardis had been. The doctor was shocked but he was definitely not the only one, though Jackie wasn't completely shocked. She was speechless actually, she took steps to the doctor before tearing her eyes from the spot and looking at the doctor. His eyes were scary, vacant it almost seemed. She didn't know what to say or do, she was Rose's mother, her daughter's action should reflect on her. After all that time, Rose looing for a way to be reunited with the doctor, all the drama the Tyler family had gone through. still she could help but feel for the man standing beside her. The only thing she could think to do was take his hand. The contact was what the doctor needed, he blinked and looked at her. He stared at her as if he couldn't see her, it was slightly unnerving, the look in his eyes.

"Do you know what I'll love right now" The doctor asked.

Jackie didn't know if she wanted to hear what he wanted, but she couldn't voice that, "What?' She asked, keeping her voice as neutral as possible.

"To meet Tony" The doctor said, then he smiled, his wide smile that light up his face, the happy smile that was so like the doctor, "Tony sounds brilliant"


	2. Metacrisis Clones

Chapter Two - Metacrisis clones

The Doctor and Rose stared at each other, one defiant and the other apprehensive, this was completely wrong. It wasn't suppose to end up like this, both of them in the same time and space. Rose had chosen, going completely against the script. Donna knew the history between the doctor and Rose, she was just as shocked because she knew that the doctor had been willing to give Rose anything, even a life without him. The double doctor had been a gift from the doctor, one that could spend the rest of his life making her happy. But apparently Rose hadn't seen it that way and here she was in the Tardis, the dimensional doors closed behind her.

"So you're coming along" Donna said, it was a statement of fact, breaking the spell between the doctor and Rose, "great"

"No she is not" The Doctor said just as quickly moving away from Rose, her hands floated on air for a second before falling on either side of her.

"Yes, I am" Rose said, crossing her arms defensively, "I'm not going to stay in that dimension, not without you, not again"

"I thought we could try planet Felspoon next" Donna said, then trying to divert the conversation, it was obviously not working out well.

"Not without me" The doctor was flabbergasted, "what does that mean, you do have me there"

"What a good name! Felspoon!" Donna tried again, she looked at Rose then, "it's got mountains that sway in the breeze. Mountains that move, can you imagine?"

"A copy, Doctor" Rose asked, unable to understand why he was being so difficult.

The doctor was silent for a moment, staring at her deep in thought, "how do you know that?"

Rose uncrossed her arms then, "I can tell..."

"Not you" He snapped interrupting her then turned to Donna, "you, how do you know that"

"Because it's in your head" Donna said as if that was the most obvious answer in the world, "And if it's in your head, it's in mine! It brilliant isn't it, loving it…you know that syncing won't fix that chameleon circuit right, you could just use the superseding binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary"

Both the Doctor and Rose looked at her as she spoke the same word over and over like a robot. Rose looked between the Doctor, who was watching Donna sadly, and the object of his pain. He obviously knew what was happening.

"Doctor," Rose said, dreading the answer slightly, "what's wrong with her?"

"I'm fine," Donna snapped, she didn't like being talked about as if she wasn't there however she reconciled that with the fact that Rose was worried about her, "you know what, forget Felspoon, know who I would like to meet right now? Charlie Chaplin, that Charlie Chaplin bet his great, his name is brilliant don't you think, Charlie Chaplin, Charlie Chester, no wait, Charlie Brown"

"Charlie Brown is fiction" Rose pointed out quietly.

"Of course he is fiction," Donna snapped again striding to Rose, she was now angry, "Don't you think I know that, I'm not daft you know"

"I know that" Rose said, taking a step back

"I know the base code of the universe," Donna explained, she didn't seem to realize that she was scaring Rose a little bit, "I know how the Milstone Cascada was created, I know when the molten empire fell, I know...I know... I know"

At that point, Donna gasped in pain leaning against the console, holding her head. She knew what was happening to her, her mind burned with knowledge, timelord knowledge so she knew as well as the doctor what was happening. The doctor walked towards Donna, Rose watching with wide eyes, though she kept herself calm. It was another result of traveling with the doctor, she learned that panic never did anyone any good and the doctor would always have a plan. Still it never hurt to know what was going on.

"Doctor" Rose said only to have him shush her with one hand.

"Do you know what's happening?" He asked Donna in a whisper almost.

Doctor knew that Donna knew even though she shook her head as an answer, defiantly as if denying will make it all not true.

"What's happening, Doctor?" Rose asked, curious and feeling out of the loop.

The Doctor took a while to answer, that Rose wondered if he would at all but then when he did he barely glanced at her and that hurt. She grounded that pain and forced herself to listen. Donna was an impossibility, a human/time lord metacrisis was never meant to be, could never be. Those were the laws of the universe, and Donna was breaking the laws of the universe.

"She took my mind into her own head" The Doctor explained, "but that's a Time Lord's consciousness and it's killing her"

"No!" Donna said grabbing the doctor's shoulders, unwilling to accept what's happening, "This isn't fair! I want to stay, I was going to stay with you forever"

"I know" The doctor said quietly.

"Rest of my life" Donna shouted, hysterically, tears falling from her eyes, "Traveling in the TARDIS with you. The Doctor-Donna."

Rose felt tears spring in her eyes as well, her heart went out to Donna, knowing full well the pain that came with knowing and losing the doctor well. The hollowness that invaded the heart, she didn't completely understand what was going on, unable to know the whole story there was nothing she could do to help either one of them.

"I know" The doctor said quietly in a such a gentle tone, a gentleness that was heartbreaking. Compassion went out for the companion that had become more of a sister than anything, and sorrow for what he knew was about to lose. Donna must have sensed the decision the doctor had made, she shook he head, and stepped away from the doctor slightly, shouting words of resistance. Finally she understood the doctor, and it made what would happened that much worse, that much more painful, but she didn't want to go back. Why couldn't the doctor find a way, another way, thought she knew there was no way, it didn't make it better. All those wonderful things she had seen, had been a part of, the doctor had shown up, turned her world upside down and she was all the better for it. To go back, it wasn't right. The doctor came and stood in front of her, she looked at him desperately, wanting there to be a hope in the doctor's eyes, but there wasn't and tears leaked out of her eyes in despair, because regardless she had known better.

"Donna Noble. I am so sorry" The doctor said, grabbing the sides of her head gently, "I wish...goodbye my friend"

The last words came out at a whisper, a word he had said all to often, for ages, time after time, painful every single time. though it seemed every goodbye was more terrible, hurt worse than the last. With that thought he closed his eyes, his mind penetrating hers, the doctor was like a virus then, searching and finding images of him, of them, of their adventures, anything at all connected to him was wiped out of consciousness, misplaced, hidden in an unlock-able room, everything all ending with that fateful moment. The moment a beautiful bride, with read hair, and a loud mouth had first made an appearance in the Tardis. Donna screamed, a scream that echoed in the Tardis. She tried, fought to hold on to something. But her mind was no match for the Timelord. Tired and exhausted, she fall into his arms unconscious.

"Doctor" Rose called out rushing to Donna's side, dazed, confused and worried, "Is she alright"

The doctor stood still for the longest time, without answering Rose, holding Donna tightly. Rose wondered for a second if he had even heard her, looking at him, she couldn't help but notice the terrible sadness in his eyes.

"Doc..doctor" Rose barely shocked out, the pain in his eyes swallowing her up.

"She will be" the doctor said abruptly, she watching him as he struggled to carry Donna in his arms, she wanted to help but he pulled away before she could, "She will be just fine"

Rose watched the doctor walk out of the Tardis with sad eyes, wondering if she had lost him. She knew much about Donna, about how one choice had changed the fate of the world. But she wondered just how much she knew. All this time, Rose had searched for a way to get back to the doctor. Her she was, and she wondered if she still belonged, if the doctor had thought about getting her back. It seemed he had moved on though, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, was she just another companion after all. She waited for a long time by the stairs that led to the other rooms in the Tardis, waiting for him to come back. She didn't know this, but there was a storm outside and there the doctor stood talking to Wilf, Donna's grandfather who was asking a very important question.

"What about you doctor, who have you got now?" Donna's grandfather asked, wanting to know, wanting reassurance that the doctor would be just fine., "Will you be okay?"

"I'm be fine' The doctor said with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "I'm always fine"

Wilf promised to look up at the night, at the stars on Donna's behalf, thinking of the doctor for her. It was uncomfortable for the Doctor, to have someone look at him with such pity, the way Wilf looked at him. It wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last, drenched in water, he went back to the Tardis and took of his Jacket before going to adjusts some controls. The Tardis de-materalised and went into a time vortex, he leaned against the console, staring into space. Rose watching him, knowing almost instantly that the Doctor was unaware of anything, had perhaps even forgotten about her.

"Doctor" Rose called out and he looked at her startled, he had forgotten, that hurt but she pushed the pain down and walked down the stairs.

"Right you are" The doctor finally said, "Can't get you back"

"I wasn't planning on going back," Rose said and stepped towards him, "Doctor, where's Donna?"

"home," The doctor said simply, he stared at her for a moment then sighed, "you could have been so happy, you know?" Rose must have looked confused, "With him"

"No, he isn't you" Rose said coming even closer, "Looking like you, and talking like you, thinking like you doesn't change the fact that he isn't you"

The doctor studied her for a moment, he seemed to have made a decision then because he stood even straighter, "I'll never say them though, those words...never"

Rose forced herself to remain neutral, she even managed a smile, "Does it really need saying" She echoed his words back to him.

They stood a long time that way, the Doctor and Rose, in the Tardis console, looking at each other. With thoughts racing million miles apart, neither touching or moving.


End file.
